Chris Case

Chris Case

Cofounder and Content Director of Fast Talk Labs, Founder of Alter Exploration
Chris is a lifelong endurance athlete, journalist, editor, explorer, and photographer. He cofounded Fast Talk Laboratories and founded Alter Exploration.

Chris is a lifelong endurance athlete with a diverse academic and professional background. He has degrees and experience in neuroscience, clinical psychology, art, documentary photography, and journalism, and has decades of professional experience in the cycling and travel industries. Most recently, he founded Alter Exploration, which crafts challenging, transformative cycling journeys in some of the world’s most stunning destinations.

Chris was born and raised in southeastern Connecticut. He took up running in elementary school, and it quickly became his sole competitive outlet. Ultimately, he won multiple state championships in cross-country and track.

Chris attended Colgate University and graduated with degrees in neuroscience and art. He spent the next three years at the National Institute of Mental Health conducting research on patients with schizophrenia. After another year researching a stem cell treatment for Parkinson’s disease, he decided to pursue his second passion. This led him to the graduate journalism program at the University of Texas at Austin, where he concentrated in documentary photography. This is where Chris rediscovered his love of cycling, joining the collegiate team before expanding into categorized racing.

In 2012, Chris became the managing editor of VeloNews magazine, a position he held for nearly eight years. It was during that time that he became co-host of Fast Talk.

His cycling pursuits took him around the world to race on the road, mountain, and in cyclocross, to places like Taiwan, Costa Rica, Israel, and throughout Europe. He has stood on the podium at several cyclocross national championships, and is a silver medalist at master’s cyclocross worlds.

Chris is the author of The Haywire Heart, a groundbreaking and critically important guide to heart care for athletes, and the first book to delve into the relationship between long-term endurance athletics and heart health.

He is a cofounder of Fast Talk Labs, with Trevor Connor, and was the COO of Fast Talk Labs and The Paleo Diet until January 2022.

Latest: Page 3

A USA Cycling mountain biking coach works with a Team USA athlete cyclist at the 2018 UCI MTB World Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.

2 // The How and Why of Coaching

Coaches often focus on methodology over philosophy. Your own path to coaching shapes both, and Joe Friel shows why it matters.

Chris Case, Joe Friel, et. al.
USA Cycling coach celebrates with cyclocross athlete

1 // Building a Foundation for Success in Coaching

Coach Joe Friel details what it takes to be a good, happy, and successful coach, then shares how coaches can build the eight most important skills an effective coach must have.

Chris Case, Joe Friel, et. al.
Complete Guide to Indoor Cycling, Zwift, and Smart Trainers for Cycling and Spinning

Indoor Cycling Pathway

Used strategically, riding inside can be a beneficial way to keep motivation high, effectively add intensity, and stave off winter training doldrums. With the help of Joe Friel, Dr. Stephen Seiler, and others, we explore all aspects of indoor cycling.

Chris Case, Dr. Stephen Cheung, et. al.
Fast Talk Podcast Episode 195 Favorite Moments of 2021

Favorite Moments of 2021

We revisit our favorite Fast Talk conversations from 2021 with a variety of fascinating guests.

Fast Talk Podcast Episode 195
Blurred cyclists

Is Perceived Exertion the Most Important Metric?

Knowing how a race or workout feels—aka RPE—is an extremely important sense for endurance athletes. With the help of top cycling coaches, athletes, and researchers, we explore why RPE may be more important than power, heart rate, and other metrics.

Fast Talk Podcast Episode 190
A cyclist rides a bicycle near Boulder Reservoir in Niwot with trees and Haystack Mountain

Cycling Base Training Pathway

The concept of base training has been a part of endurance training for decades. Laying a foundation of fitness early in the season sets the stage for success later on. With the help of Joe Friel, Dr. Stephen Seiler, and Dr. Andy Pruitt, we explore the how and why of this fundamental aspect of endurance training.

Chris Case, Dr. Andy Pruitt, EdD, et. al.